TWM535196U - Bicycle component and bicycle component communication system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present utility model discloses a bicycle component and a bicycle component communication system (30). The bicycle component comprises a near field radio communication chip (20). The bicycle component communication system (30) comprises the bicycle component and an external device (31). The external device (31) includes a receiver (311) and a transmitter (312). The receiver (311) is configured to receive information from the bicycle component via a near field radio communication protocol. The transmitter (312) is configured to transmit the information to the bicycle component via the near field radio communication protocol. According to the present utility model, when communicating with the bicycle component through the external device, the user does not need to connect the external device to the bicycle component via electrical wires. Therefore, the user can realize communication between the external device and the bicycle component, anytime and anywhere, without carrying electrical wires.

Description

Bicycle component and bicycle component communication system

This creation is about the bicycle field, especially about a bicycle component and a bicycle component communication system.

Bicycles have become an increasingly popular means of transportation and leisure tools. With the development of electronic technology, bicycles have also become more automated. For example, in variable-speed bicycles, electronic shifting systems have replaced traditional mechanical shifting systems, enabling simpler and easier shifting operations.

When using a bicycle, people sometimes need to update the firmware of the bicycle, change the setting of the firmware, confirm the status of the bicycle assembly, and the like. For example, for an electronic shifting system, the user sometimes needs to update or reset the firmware in the electronic shifting system; or the user needs to confirm whether the electronic shifting system is normal, and confirm the course of use and the like. To this end, the user connects the personal computer to the electronic shifting system via a wire to realize communication between the personal computer and the electronic shifting system, thereby updating or setting the electronic shifting system and the like.

In this case, the user must carry the wires in order to communicate between the personal computer and the electronic shifting system. In addition, the user needs to spend time connecting the personal computer to the electronic shifting system via wires.

The present invention aims to provide a bicycle assembly and a bicycle assembly communication system having such a bicycle assembly, thereby facilitating communication between the bicycle assembly and an external device without connecting the bicycle assembly to the external device via a wire.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a bicycle assembly is provided. The bicycle assembly includes a near field radio communication (NFC) chip.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the bicycle assembly according to the first aspect is provided such that the bicycle assembly is a bicycle shifting device.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the bicycle assembly according to the second aspect is provided, such that the bicycle shifting device includes a base member, a movable member, and the movable member is movably coupled to the A link structure of the base member.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the bicycle assembly according to the third aspect is disposed such that the near field wireless communication chip is placed on one of the base member and the movable member.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the bicycle assembly according to the fourth aspect is disposed such that the near field wireless communication chip is placed within an interior space of the base member and one of the movable members.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the bicycle component according to the fifth aspect is provided such that the base member and one of the movable members are at least partially made of a material that can transmit electric waves.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the bicycle assembly according to the sixth aspect is provided such that the material capable of transmitting electric waves is a non-metallic material.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the bicycle set according to the fourth aspect is set Thus, the bicycle shifting device is configured to be secured to a bicycle frame adjacent one of a bicycle rotatable assembly having a central axis of rotation. The bicycle shifting device has a first half piece and a second half piece that are closer to the bicycle frame than the first half piece in an axial direction parallel to the central axis of rotation. The near field wireless communication chip is located on the first half of the part.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, the bicycle assembly according to any one of the second to eighth aspects is provided, such that the bicycle shifting device is a bicycle rear derailleur or a bicycle front derailleur.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, the bicycle component according to the first aspect is provided such that the bicycle component is a bicycle operating device.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, the bicycle assembly according to the tenth aspect is provided such that the bicycle operating device is arranged to operate a bicycle shifting device.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, the bicycle assembly according to the first aspect is provided such that the bicycle assembly is a bicycle suspension, an adjustable seat post or a drive unit configured to assist the pedaling force.

According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, the bicycle component according to the first aspect is provided such that the bicycle component is a bicycle computer.

According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, the bicycle assembly according to the thirteenth aspect is provided, such that the bicycle computer includes a receiving member which is at least partially made of a material capable of transmitting electric waves, the near field wireless communication The wafer is placed in the receiving member.

According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, the bicycle component according to the fourteenth aspect is disposed such that the material capable of transmitting electric waves is a non-metallic material.

According to the sixteenth aspect of the creation, the self according to the thirteenth aspect is set a vehicle assembly, such that the bicycle computer is configured to be coupled to at least one of: a bicycle rear derailleur, a bicycle front derailleur, a bicycle operating device, a bicycle suspension, an adjustable seat post, and an auxiliary pedaling force A drive unit.

According to a seventeenth aspect of the present invention, a bicycle component communication system is provided. The bicycle component communication system includes a bicycle component and an external device according to any of the foregoing aspects. The external device includes a receiver and a transmitter. The receiver is configured to receive information from the bicycle component via a near field wireless communication protocol. The transmitter is configured to transmit the information to the bicycle component via the near field wireless communication protocol.

According to an eighteenth aspect of the present invention, the bicycle component communication system according to the seventeenth aspect is provided, such that the external device is a mobile device or an electronic card.

According to the present invention, when communicating with the bicycle component through the external device, the user does not need to connect the external device to the bicycle component through the electric wire, so that the user can realize communication between the external device and the bicycle component anytime and anywhere. No need to carry wires.

In addition, because of the use of the near field wireless communication, the user can use a variety of external devices to communicate with the bicycle component, and is not limited to a personal computer, which is very convenient for the user to use.

In addition, since the user does not need to be connected through a wire when communicating with the bicycle component using the external device, communication can be realized more quickly.

According to the present invention, a plurality of operations can be performed through the near field wireless communication protocol, for example, the firmware of the bicycle can be updated through the near field wireless communication protocol, the setting of the bicycle component is changed, and the state of the bicycle component is confirmed (the bicycle component is The status includes tracking information about the bicycle component, whether the bicycle component is broken, fault history, etc.) and the user's Personal identification.

10‧‧‧Bicycle

11‧‧‧ crank group

12‧‧‧Bicycle shifting device

12a‧‧‧Bicycle front derailleur

12b‧‧‧ Bicycle rear derailleur

12c‧‧‧ drive unit

12d‧‧‧Battery

13‧‧‧ Front fork

13a‧‧‧Bicycle suspension

14‧‧‧Bicycle rack

15‧‧‧Adjustable seatpost

16‧‧‧Bicycle operating device

17‧‧‧Bicycle computer

18‧‧‧ Rear wheel

19‧‧ Wheels

20‧‧‧ front wheel

20‧‧‧ Near Field Wireless Communication Chip

22‧‧‧ grip

24‧‧‧ seats

25‧‧‧ seat tube

28‧‧‧Chapter

30‧‧‧Bicycle component communication system

31‧‧‧External devices

311‧‧‧ Receiver

312‧‧‧transmitter

40‧‧‧Base member

41‧‧‧Clamp section

42‧‧‧ movable components

44‧‧‧ linkage structure

A1‧‧‧Rotation center axis

I‧‧‧first half of the part

II‧‧‧ second half of the part

P1‧‧‧Retracted position

P2‧‧‧ relaxation position

P‧‧‧imaginary plane

The drawings form a part of this description and are used to further understand this creation. These drawings illustrate examples of the present work and are used in conjunction with the description to describe the present principles. In the drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the drawings: the first figure is a side view of a bicycle equipped with a bicycle component according to an example of the present creation; the second figure is an enlarged external side view of a part of a bicycle front derailleur region, wherein the bicycle front derailleur is according to the present creation An example of the bicycle assembly, and this figure only illustrates the bicycle front derailleur and the bicycle frame 14 portion that secures the bicycle front derailleur; the third figure is a rear solid view showing only the bicycle front derailleur shown in the second figure; And the fourth figure is a schematic block diagram of a bicycle component communication system according to an example of the present creation.

The selected examples will be explained with reference to the drawings. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that the following description of the present invention is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the present invention, which is defined by the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. .

Referring first to the first figure, a side view of a bicycle 10 is shown. The bicycle 10 generally includes a bicycle shifting device 12, a front fork 13, a bicycle frame 14, a bicycle operating device 16, a bicycle computer 17, a rear wheel 18, a front wheel 21, a grip 22, and a seat 24. A tire can be attached to the rear wheel 18 and the front wheel 21.

The bicycle shifting device 12 includes a bicycle front derailleur 12a and a bicycle rear derailleur 12b. The bicycle front derailleur 12a is fixed to the bicycle frame 14 at a position near a crank set 11 of the bicycle 10, and the bicycle rear derailleur 12b is the rear wheel of the bicycle 10. 18 is fixed to the bicycle frame 14 at a position near one of the hubs 19. Preferably, the bicycle front derailleur 12a and the bicycle rear derailleur 12b may be electric transmissions.

Bicycle operating device 16 is attached to grip 22 . Bicycle operating device 16 is provided to operate bicycle shifting device 12. In particular, the bicycle operating device 16 can generally include shift levers disposed on the left-hand and right-hand sides of the grip 22, respectively, for operating the bicycle front derailleur 12a and the bicycle rear derailleur 12b, such that the chain 28 is on the front or rear chain The lateral displacement between the chain plates enables shifting. The bicycle operating device 16 is connectable to the bicycle electric front and rear derailleurs 12a and 12b via wires, such that shifting commands from the shifting levers are transmitted to the bicycle front derailleur 12a and the bicycle rear derailleur 12b. However, those skilled in the bicycle field will appreciate from this creation that other types of bicycle operating devices 16 can be used. For example, the bicycle operating device 16 can be wirelessly coupled to the bicycle electric front and rear derailleurs 12a and 12b.

The bicycle computer 17 can also be attached to the grip 22. The bicycle computer 17 is provided to be coupled to at least one of a bicycle front derailleur 12a, a bicycle rear derailleur 12b, a bicycle operating device 16, a bicycle suspension 13a, an adjustable seat post 15 and a drive unit 12c. The bicycle computer 17 can control the operation of the bicycle assembly connected thereto, or receive information from the bicycle assembly (e.g., information regarding the operational status sensed by a sensor within the bicycle assembly), and the like.

The drive unit 12c is configured to be secured to the bicycle frame 14. The drive unit is configured to assist the pedaling force with power provided by a battery 12d that is configured to be secured to the bicycle frame 14. the amount.

The seat 24 is secured to the adjustable seat post 15 such that the adjustable seat post 15 can be used to adjust the height of the seat 24.

In addition, in order to make the rider comfortable, the bicycle 10 can be provided with a bicycle suspension 13a to cushion the shock caused by the impact with the ground. For other examples, a bicycle suspension may also be provided on a joint to join the bicycle frame 14 and the rear wheel 18.

In general, bicycle 10 can be of any type and can have any configuration. Because the bicycle and the other components are well known to the bicycle industry, detailed descriptions of the bicycle 10 and the other components are omitted for the sake of brevity.

Next, a bicycle front derailleur 12a (shortened to "front derailleur 12a" in the following text) is taken as an example of the bicycle assembly, and the solution of the present invention will be described in more detail.

First, the structure of the front derailleur 12a will be described with reference to the second and third figures. The front derailleur 12a includes a base member 40, a movable member (chain guide) 42 and a link structure 44 that movably couples the movable member 42 to the base member 40.

The base member 40 is configured to be attached to the bicycle frame 14. In the illustrated example, the base member 40 is secured to a seat tube 25 of the bicycle frame 14. More specifically, the base member 40 includes a clamp portion 41 that is configured to be attached to the seat tube 25. Those skilled in the bicycle art will appreciate from this creation that base member 40 can have other configurations as needed and/or desired.

As illustrated in the third figure, the movable member 42 is disposed to be movable relative to the base member 40 between a retracted position P1 and a diastolic position P2. The movable member 42 is further away from the base member 40 at the diastolic position P2 than the contracted position P1. The movable member 42 includes a chain guide that is configured to The chain 28 is guided.

The link structure 44 is configured to movably couple the moveable member 42 to the base member 40 such that the base member 40, the moveable member 42 and the link structure 44 can define a linkage mechanism that moves the moveable member 42. Those skilled in the bicycle field will understand from this creation that other joint structures can also be applied to the front derailleur 12a.

The front derailleur 12a can have a conventional transmission structure. Therefore, for the sake of brevity, a detailed description of other structures of the front derailleur will be omitted.

To facilitate communication between the external device and the front derailleur 12a, a near field wireless communication chip 20 is disposed within the front derailleur 12a (see fourth figure). Since the near field wireless communication chip 20 is placed in the front derailleur 12a, the front derailleur 12a can communicate with the external device via a near field wireless communication protocol, as will be described in greater detail below with reference to the fourth embodiment.

Preferably, the near field wireless communication chip 20 is placed on one of the base member 40 and the movable member 42. More preferably, the near field wireless communication chip 20 is located within the interior space of one of the base member 40 and the movable member 42, thus protecting the near field wireless communication chip 20 from damage. For example, when riding a bicycle 10 on a gravel road, the near field wireless communication chip 20 is located within the interior space and is protected from the impact of the gravel.

Moreover, in order to avoid radio wave interference problems, one of the base member 40 and the movable member 42 in which the near field wireless communication chip 20 is placed is at least partially made of a material that can transmit electric waves. Preferably, the material capable of transmitting electric waves is a non-metallic material, for example, the material capable of transmitting electric waves is a plastic material.

Further, to avoid radio wave interference problems, the near field wireless communication chip 20 can be located remote from the bicycle frame 14. Near field wireless communication chip 20 as described in the current example It can be located within the front derailleur 12a. More specifically, the near field wireless communication chip 20 can be located remotely from the bicycle frame 14 within the front derailleur 12a. Next, this treatment will be described in detail.

Specifically, please refer to the first to third figures. The front derailleur 12a is secured to the bicycle frame 14 at a location near one of the crank sets 11 of the bicycle 10. This crankset 11 has a central axis of rotation A1 that is substantially perpendicular to the plane in which the bicycle frame 14 is located. At this time, please refer to a third diagram illustrating a imaginary plane P perpendicular to the central axis of rotation A1, in other words, the imaginary plane P is substantially parallel to the plane in which the bicycle frame 14 is located. This imaginary plane P divides the bicycle front derailleur 12a into a first half part I and a second half part II. The second half part II is closer to the bicycle frame 14 than the first half part in an axial direction parallel to the rotation center axis A1. In order to avoid this radio wave interference problem, the near field wireless communication chip 20 is located in the first half part I. Since the near field wireless communication chip 20 is located away from the first half part I of the bicycle frame 14, it is more advantageous to transmit electric waves.

Next, the bicycle assembly communication system 30 will be described with reference to the fourth figure at this time. The fourth diagram illustrates a block diagram showing the bicycle component communication system 30. The bicycle component communication system 30 includes the bicycle component and an external device 31.

In the present example, the bicycle assembly is a front derailleur 12a in which a near field wireless communication chip 20 is placed.

The external device 31 can be a personal computer. However, the external device 31 is not limited to this. In fact, since the near field wireless communication chip 20 is used in the present creation, the range of use of the external device can be greatly increased. For example, the external device can be a mobile device such as a mobile phone and a tablet device. Thanks to the mobile phone, it has the advantages of portability and small size, so it is helpful to users. In addition, the external device can also be an electronic card or the like.

The external device 31 includes a receiver 311 and a transmitter 312. Receiver 311 The information is received from the front derailleur 12a via a near field wireless communication protocol. Transmitter 312 is arranged to transmit information to front derailleur 12a via the near field wireless communication protocol. As illustrated in the fourth figure, the near field wireless communication chip 20 can wirelessly transmit the information to the receiver 311 and the transmitter 312, thus facilitating communication between the front derailleur 12a and the external device 31 without the need to pass through the wires. The transmission 12a is connected to the external device 31.

While the bicycle front derailleur 12a is taken as an example to illustrate the bicycle assembly of the present invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the inventive solution is also applicable to other bicycle assemblies. For example, the inventive solution can be applied to a bicycle rear derailleur 12b, a bicycle operating device 16 configured to operate the bicycle shifting device 12, a bicycle suspension 13a, an adjustable seat post 15, a drive unit 12c configured to assist the pedaling force, or Bicycle computer 17.

In particular, the bicycle computer 17 can include a receiving member (not shown). When the inventive solution is applied to the bicycle computer 17, the near field wireless communication chip 20 is located within the receiving member. In order to avoid this radio wave interference problem, the receiving member is at least partially made of a material that can transmit electric waves. Preferably, the material capable of transmitting electric waves is a non-metallic material, for example, the material capable of transmitting electric waves is a plastic material.

The use of "including" and its variations in this specification is an open-ended term that specifies the stated features, components, components, groups, integers, and/or steps, but does not exclude other unreported features. , components, components, groups, integers, and/or steps exist. The foregoing also applies to words having similar meanings, such as "including", "having" and variations thereof. In addition, the use of the terms "component", "section", "part", "component" or "component" in the singular can have both singular and plural. As used in the above examples, the following terms are used in the words "forward", "before", "above", "down", "vertical", "horizontal", " "Bottom" and "Landscape" and any other similar directional terms refer to the direction of the bicycle equipped with the bicycle assembly. Accordingly, these terms used to describe the bicycle assembly should be interpreted when the bicycle equipped with the bicycle assembly is used in a normal riding position. Finally, degree terms, such as "substantially", "about" and "about" used in this specification, indicate a reasonable modification of the term offset, so that the results are not significantly changed.

Although only selected examples have been chosen to exemplify the present invention, the disclosure is intended to be understood by those skilled in the art, and many changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. For example, the size, shape, position or orientation of many parts can be varied as needed and/or as desired. Parts that are directly connected or in contact with each other can be interposed between the intermediate structures. The function of one component can be performed by two parts and vice versa. The structure and function of one example can be employed in another example. Not all advantages are required to be presented simultaneously in a particular instance. Each of the creative descriptions presented by the Applicant should also consider each feature that is independent of the prior art, alone or in combination with other features, including structural and/or functional concepts embodied by such features. As such, the foregoing description of the examples of the present invention is intended to be illustrative only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, which is defined by the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

12a‧‧‧Bicycle front derailleur

20‧‧‧ Near Field Wireless Communication Chip

30‧‧‧Bicycle component communication system

31‧‧‧External devices

311‧‧‧ Receiver

312‧‧‧transmitter

Claims (18)

A bicycle assembly including a near field wireless communication chip (20), wherein the near field wireless communication chip is secured to the bicycle assembly. A bicycle assembly according to claim 1, wherein the bicycle assembly is a bicycle shifting device (12). The bicycle assembly of claim 2, wherein the bicycle shifting device (12) includes a base member (40), a movable member (42), and the movable member (42) movably coupled thereto A link structure (44) of the base member (40). A bicycle component according to claim 3, wherein the near field wireless communication chip (20) is placed on one of the base member (40) and the movable member (42). The bicycle assembly of claim 4, wherein the near field wireless communication chip (20) is placed within an interior space of the base member (40) and one of the movable members (42). A bicycle component according to claim 5, wherein one of the base member (40) and the movable member (42) is at least partially made of a material that can transmit electric waves. The bicycle component of claim 6, wherein the material capable of transmitting electric waves is a non-metallic material. A bicycle assembly according to claim 4, wherein the bicycle shifting device (12) is disposed to be attached to a bicycle frame at a position adjacent to a bicycle rotatable assembly having a central axis of rotation (A1) The bicycle shifting device (12) has a first half part (I) and a second half part (II) which are in an axial direction parallel to the central axis of rotation (A1) than the first half part ( I) closer to the bicycle frame (14), and The near field wireless communication chip (20) is located on the first half part (I). The bicycle assembly of any of claims 2-8, wherein the bicycle shifting device (12) is a bicycle rear derailleur (12b) or a bicycle front derailleur (12a). The bicycle component of claim 1, wherein the bicycle component is a bicycle operating device (16). A bicycle assembly according to claim 10, wherein the bicycle operating device (16) is arranged to operate a bicycle shifting device (12). A bicycle component according to claim 1, wherein the bicycle component is a bicycle suspension (13a), an adjustable seat post (15) or a drive unit (12c) configured to assist the pedaling force. The bicycle component of claim 1, wherein the bicycle component is a bicycle computer (17). A bicycle assembly according to claim 13 wherein the bicycle computer (17) comprises a receiving member at least partially made of a material capable of transmitting electric waves, the near field wireless communication chip (20) being placed on the receiving member Inside. The bicycle component of claim 14, wherein the material capable of transmitting electric waves is a non-metallic material. The bicycle assembly of claim 13, wherein the bicycle computer (17) is configured to be coupled to a bicycle front derailleur (12a), a bicycle rear derailleur (12b), a bicycle operating device (16), and a bicycle suspension (13a), an adjustable seat post (15) and at least one of a drive unit (12c) configured to assist the pedaling force. A bicycle component communication system (30) comprising: A bicycle component according to any one of the preceding claims; and an external device (31) comprising: a receiver (311) configured to receive information from the bicycle component via a near field wireless communication protocol; and an emission The device (312) is configured to transmit information to the bicycle component via the near field wireless communication protocol. The bicycle component communication system (30) of claim 17, wherein the external device (31) is a mobile device or an electronic card.